


Build a Bomb

by blacklionshiro (Fonbella)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fights, M/M, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Sparring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 05:39:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7745374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fonbella/pseuds/blacklionshiro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was only a matter of time until Keith exploded. Or found an impulse control, whatever came first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Build a Bomb

Every three months the corridors at the garrison would get crowded with students running to the murals. On the left side was a list of the top ten students from each class. Usually the first two or three were the best pilots, followed by the best engineers and finally best medics and astrophysicists. That was usually where Keith’s and Hunk’s names could be found.

The remaining students were on the right side, on a smaller print and no pictures accompanying their names. Lance’s name was seen on that list eighty percent of the time, though his grades were hardly bad ones—others just had better discipline and always delivered their homework on time.

If it were just the grades then maybe he wouldn’t be so bothered by it. It was the fact that the corridors leading to the patio were flooded by waves of students and yet Keith never showed up that really got to him.

The best pilot had an ego the size of the moon and the grades to match it.

 

* * *

 

Keith did not seek trouble and he wasn’t a violent person by nature, but he had a rather short fuse if anyone attempted to start something. Sadly, “anyone” usually translated into “Lance” and Keith didn’t know what his deal was, but he knew that it pissed him off.

It started when—wait, when did it start again? Shortly after he was promoted to fighter class. Before that… He didn’t remember Lance much before that. The only reason he did now was because the pilot was responsible for him taking two formal warnings at the principal’s for “bad discipline” thus far and that was enough to get his attention. In a bad way.

He had nowhere to go. If he was expelled, no family to return to, no course in life to follow. He had to stay, whatever the cost. And if Lance thought he was going to take that away from him, for whatever reason, he was very mistaken.

 

* * *

 

Hunk just wanted to pass with flying colors, have fun with his friend and eat the best croissant from the cafeteria every morning. The last thing he wanted to do was spend his night awake taking care of Lance’s broken nose because he got into a fight. A very dumb fight he always started.

 

* * *

 

In Keith’s defense, Lance was the one that had started. It was Keith’s turn to get in the flight simulator, but Lance didn’t seem to agree. It didn’t help that he hadn’t gotten much sleep last night because he had to finish his chemistry homework, or that he had missed breakfast earlier that day because he missed the alarm from his phone.

Keith was as tense as he could’ve been and some idiot loser who wanted to make a scene at his expense was all he needed to explode and deal the first blow, which just happened to be a punch straight to Lance’s cheek. Many surprised gasps and people distancing themselves from them in a circle made him realize what he had just done. Lance was talking, fast, something to provoke him. He couldn’t keep track of it, he was too busy trying to focus. He always had trouble focusing when he was too riled up. Lance’s stance changed, challenging him, then he pushed Keith away and tapped on his own chest twice as if daring him.

Keith took the bait, readying another punch. Only this time, it never landed. Instead a hand caught his wrist mid air and twisted it against his own back. Keith’s first instinct was to look at who had stopped him. Bad idea—if only he had tried to twist away from his perpetrator, than maybe he would’ve been able to escape.

In front of him a cadet wearing green uniform was yelling something about no fights in the simulator and how both of them should leave. It honestly didn’t matter. Keith’s face grew hotter and it wasn’t just the adrenaline from the fight. The stranger’s fingers were still holding his wrist. He was sweating, a lot, and he wanted to leave, just like the cadet had asked him to.

He wasn’t feeling well, his stomach was doing weird loops and his heart was palpitating too fast. Maybe he was just hungry. Maybe it was something about the stranger.

Who knows?

 

* * *

 

Shiro was the cadet who had been promoted just a week before. Now that Keith thought about it, the reason why he wanted to stop him and Lance was probably because he wanted to show authorities how much of a good student he was. It was a bit pathetic, really.

Keith was also really pathetic.

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, Shiro was really good at being everywhere. Either that or Keith simply hadn’t noticed before how much they always seemed to be at the same place. That was probably the case, it did take him a while to notice Lance as well.

As he prepared to grab his tray for lunch, Shiro showed up just beside him and tapped his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze.

“Mind if I join you?”

“No, not really.”

He did, a bit, but it didn’t matter. They sat together and ate together and Shiro was _really_ good at cracking jokes and Keith hated how he couldn’t stop chuckling at Shiro’s stories.

“What do you say to hitting the gym after we finish here?”

“What, you think you can win on CQC against me just because you’re bigger?” Snorting, Keith got up with his tray, Shiro following him closely behind.

“Maybe.” He smirked at Keith and bumped shoulders with him.

Keith bumped him back.

 

* * *

 

The next time Lance provoked him, Keith was prepared. He had learned to take a deep breath and count to ten. Also thinking about Shiro lecturing him if he got out of line helped.

It became his meditation.

 

* * *

 

Shiro had the strength and the stature, but Keith was a lot more agile and flexible. But just when Keith thought about that, Shiro managed to land a hit on his shoulder that pushed him back. Thinking about Shiro and flexibility and raw strength in the middle of a hand to hand combat was _probably_ not the smartest idea. A kick to his knee was all it took for him to land on his ass as gracefully as possible.

Shiro’s laughter filled the air, rich and powerful as he combed his hair back with a hand. Sweat dripped from his scalp, down his neck and shoulders. The black sleeveless t-shirt he wore was glued to his chest and torso before he pulled the hem up to clean his face.

“You okay? You spaced out there for a second.”

 _Spaced out_. Right, it was a joke because they were _space_ cadets. Shiro was laughing at his own joke and Keith wanted so badly to join him like he usually did but he was hot and his chest hurt. When Shiro came close and offered him a hand, Keith had trouble getting his arm up to accept it.

With his hand warm and wet from the training, Keith almost withdrew from the contact after accepting Shiro’s hand in his. After he got up, he attempted to release himself from the grip, but Shiro held onto him tightly.

“C’mon, let’s finish up and head back to the dorms.”

 

* * *

 

Hunk was having the time of his life. For some reason Lance hadn’t shown up with a broken body part in a few weeks. He was observant enough to know it was because Keith wasn’t responding to his implications anymore. Hunk was also equally smart to know Shiro’s influence on Keith’s behavior was probably why. One thing lead to another and Lance found himself bored.

It prompted Lance to actually get more focused on his classes and on the simulator. Hunk still hated the stupid machine, but he was happy.

Hunk just wanted to pass with flying colors, have fun with his friend and eat the best croissant from the cafeteria every morning. The last thing he wanted to do was spend his night awake taking care of Lance’s broken nose because he got into a fight.

Thankfully, that was a thing of the past now.

**Author's Note:**

> A quick something done for [a prompt](https://blacklionshiro.tumblr.com/post/147271073662) on Tumblr.


End file.
